


Hedgehog’s Dilemma

by You_Light_The_Sky



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drabble Series, F/M, Fluff, Fruits Basket inspired AU, Marinette centric, Marinette has no danger meter, Marinette is a cute bug, She will fly to where no bug has flown before, Slow Burn, Tikki will slap anyone who tries to step on her bug, dont squish her, everyone is afraid of squishing her, while everyone flails about in panic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-20 10:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14259099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Light_The_Sky/pseuds/You_Light_The_Sky
Summary: “You can’t let anyone hug you, Marinette. They’ll find out that you’re a…” A bug, Maman means to say.Or that AU where Marinette turns into a ladybug whenever anyone hugs her, until Tikki comes into her life. Inspired by Fruits Basket. Drabble Series.





	1. Small Lady

**Author's Note:**

> A drabble series because this format works well for me and quick updates when I need it. This idea has been growing inside since the show first came out and finally I was like, damn it all, I'm gonna post it even if it's not good.

She is small, so small, the world has always been too tall for her. But Marinette has never cared about height as she waddles up to a chair and tries to climb on it, tries to get to the top of that table and claim her prize of lovely baked cookies. She’s on her tippy-toes, little fingers pulling her whole weight up. The wonderous prize, carrying her heart’s desire, shines down at her, as if to reach and—

“ _Marinette!_ ” Papa rushes in, catching her as she falls.

His arms go around her, and for a split-second, she feels his warmth. So safe. So loving. And then poof! She’s smaller than small. Everything goes from too tall, to fantasy-land tall. Her Papa is the King of Giants, his voice booming down at her in horror. Every finger of his is larger than the logs she sees on tv, even the cookies that Marinette lands on feel like a giant crumbling carpet.

She buzzes about, panicking. Wanting to speak, to tell her Papa to stop yelling, but she can’t. Little ladybugs like her can’t speak French or any human language. Only buzz and nibble on lovely greens—and oh how she hates that this cookie feels gross to her now, and she’d rather eat another bug.

But for her in this ladybug body, that’s all she knows. And everything bigger than her is a threat. Too scary. The giants of this land will squash her and squash her—

But Papa’s voice quiets down, his breathing like the distant hum of her wings. She sees him stretch out his thumb to her and she winces, ready to fly away, when he stops. He lets his hand hover there, steady as stone.

Buginette, Marinette, pauses, staring at the tempting green leaf he has in his hand and slowly she crawls over. She basks in the warmth of his hand.

She doesn’t notice the fat plops of tears streaming down her papa’s face as she nibbles on the leaves. Only later, when she transforms back into a human, does she question them.

But Papa just smiles and grabs his giant sheet of plastic wrap so he can hug her close.

“I’m glad you’re okay, little bug. I’m _so_ glad you’re okay.”


	2. Normal Lady

Marinette never questions why she can’t just jump into Papa’s arms or Mama’s, just because she can. She knows that they might squish her, but that doesn’t mean she can’t improvise. The Dupain-Cheng bakery has oodles of long rolls of plastic wrap (with poked holes so people can _breathe_ ) that Marinette loves to unroll and just use like a parachute to capture her parents over their heads.

Sabine and Tom always jump back, eager (but careful) to capture her back in plastic wrap. They call it their bug-catching game. Marinette prefers the _Parent-trap-game_. It’s weird, and normal girls don’t do this on TV, but it’s probably better than real hugs, because her parents always laugh (a _real_ laugh) when she does this. So Marinette keeps doing it.

She climbs up against the door and captures Sabine in plastic wrap at least once before bed, and captures Tom at least once after video games.

And if she counts the number of times, Maman and Papa almost put their arms around her, without any wrap, but pull themselves away as if burned, well… Only Marinette is counting.

“Are there other kids like me?” she asks once, cuddling with her parents in a weird sandwich of plastic wrap, blanket, quilt, and girl. “Can they turn into animals too?”

Her parents exchange glances and shrugs sadly.

“There must be,” Maman admits. “There must be other magically cursed fruit out there. But I’ve never met one.”

“Oh,” Marinette looks down, a bit disappointed that she might not meet a boy who can turn into a turtle or a girl who turns into a fox. Turtles are awfully cute with their little shells, and she’d never try to scare the turtle away, only pet it gently. And foxes look so cute with their lovely tails.

“Marinette,” Maman says carefully, “you know that we love you right? We’ll _always_ love you. You’re just as normal as any other girl.”

Marinette just nods, not understanding why her parents insist on this conversation every month or so. She _knows_ they love her. Who else has parents that play the parent-trap-game and cuddles them in layers of plastic-blanket-blankets and spoils their kids with stuffed toys and cookies?

Normal looks boring. This life is more interesting.


	3. Social Lady

Maman and Papa are careful whenever they bring Marinette outside, even if they’d rather keep her in. But Marinette would rather explore more of the city. The bakery can get boring sometimes.

So her parents make a list of rules. No running off with strangers. Don’t get too rough with the other kids. Memorize the bakery’s number so she can call for help. Scream if anyone tries to shove her into a van. The rules are drilled into her brain. But the most important rule, Maman always says, is this:

“You can’t let anyone hug you, Marinette. They’ll find out that you’re a…” _A bug_ , Maman means to say.

Marinette doesn’t mind that rule. She still doesn’t understand why she can’t just bring the giant roll of plastic wrap along so if she accidentally hugs someone, she won’t turn into a ladybug. But she doesn’t _want_ to hug anyone who isn’t Maman or Papa. She doesn’t really see the point yet. All the kids in the park seem to have their own friends and Marinette isn’t interested in playing tag for too long when she can make designs in the sand and hum with the ladybugs that tend to follow her around when she goes out.

The other kids don’t really like how the ladybugs like to crawl in Marinette’s hair. Marinette’s not sure what the big deal is. The ladybugs are just cold and her hair happens to be warm. Why _wouldn’t_ they want to snuggle in her hair. They’re always polite in leaving when she gets home.

Thus, Marinette finds herself doodling tiny dresses in the sandpit again.

“Whoa,” a little kid with a red baseball cap, big glasses, and headphones says from behind, “are those ladybugs? Can I touch some?”

Marinette narrows her eyes. “Are you gonna squash them?”

That happened once with Kim and Max, trying to play a prank on her. The next time they tried that, Marinette bit their hands. ‘Experiment’ or not, ladybugs did not deserve to be squished when they wanted to be warm.

“What?” the boy looks offended, like Marinette broke the sacred oath of dipping oreos into milk. “No, of course not! I just want to be friends with them like you are!”

“Hmmm…” Marinette frowns, looking the boy up and down.

The boy gives his best puppy eyes, the look most children give Santa at the mall before getting their photo taken.

“Alright,” Marinette nods, coaxing some of her ladybug friends into her hands. “But you better not jump around too much or make loud noises. They don’t like that! They just want to sleep, so you have to be _gentle_.”

The boy nods, taking in the instructions faithfully. Quietly, Marinette opens her palms and the ladybugs drowsily crawl over to the boy’s hands.

The boy bursts into a grin. “Awesome!”

“Shh!” Marinette puts her fingers to her lips.

“Oh. Right. I mean,” he says quieter, “ _awesome_.”

Marinette nods in approval.

“That tickles,” the boy giggles, as the ladybugs begin exploring up his arm.

“They must like you. You are now an honorary ladybug,” Marinette nods again, self-importantly.

“Ooo, does that mean we’re friends then?”

 _Friends?_ Marinette blinks at him. She’s never had friends that weren’t ladybugs before. This is… exciting!

“Yeah!” She cheers, startling the ladybugs when she bounces up. “I’m Marinette! What’s your name?”

“Nino,” the boy laughs.

“ _Nino_ ,” Marinette repeats. “I like it! Yes to friends!” She cheers once more, throwing her arms around him without thinking.

 _Oh no_ , she thinks as she goes poof, her clothes falling, and a cloud of ladybugs crowds around her protectively.

“Marinette?!” Nino begins to panic. “Where did you go?! Oh my god, did I kill her?! _Mom?!_ Mom!! I think I—”

“Hush!” Maman and Papa rush over quickly and try to calm Nino down. “Marinette’s fine. She’s just… somewhere else now. Don’t cry, don’t cry,” they say while frantically trying to figure out which ladybug is Marinette.

Marinette the Buginette is not helping, still not budging from her loving cuddle-pile of ladybugs. So warm.

“Honey,” Maman whispers, “If you’re there, please crawl on my arm.”

“Marinette’s a _ladybug?!_ ” Nino starts to wail. “That’s so cool, can _I_ turn into a ladybug?!”

“ _Hush_ ,” Papa scolds him. “No one’s supposed to know!”

“Ohhh, like a secret identity! Like superman! Okay, my lips are sealed,” Nino zips them with one motion of his finger.

Her parents look torn between looking fondly at him and finding Marinette.

But poof! The transformation doesn’t last too long this time. Marinette turns back in a cloud of smoke. Her parents hurriedly throw her coat on her before anyone can see and Marinette hurriedly makes a promise to hang out with Nino later.

Her first friend. How… cool!

It’s worth being cooped up in the bakery for a week.


	4. Hesitant Lady

“You know what I’ve been wondering lately?” Nino asks, playing a little tune on his little keyboard.

For the past two years, he’s come over for sweets and drawing time almost every day after school. He and Marinette like to draw together and fiddle on the mini-electric keyboard he brings around.

“How to play a good Jagged Stone song on the ukulele?”

“No,” Nino laughs, deciding to grab another scone. “Just… _why_ do you turn into a ladybug?”

“ _Well…_ whenever someone hugs me—”

“Not that!” Nino throws a scone at her.

Marinette gasps, catching it in her arms. “Rude! These are more precious than ambrosia, I’m insulted!” She happily bites into the scone.

“I just meant… why does it happen? Do you know?”

Marinette thinks back to the story Maman and Papa told her a long time ago. It feels unreal, like a fairy tale, and yet the proof happens with each accidental hug.

“Maman and Papa were trying to have a baby but couldn’t for a long time. Then they saw an advertisement for a special kind of fruit that would give any parent a baby. _Miraculous_ , they called it. I guess Maman and Papa really wanted me because they bought one of those fruit, even though it was really expensive, and voila! Here I am!”

Nino’s eyes went wide. “Whoa. That’s pretty cool.”

Marinette shrugged. The story actually kind of creeped her out but she didn’t understand why. Maman and Papa told her that they tried to find any traces of the company _Miraculous_ after Marinette was born… but the company refused to answer their calls. And then, a year later, the company seemed to vanish.

“So what if someone hugged you while you were under a bunch of blankets?”

“Still a ladybug,” Marinette shrugs, adding a top hat to her sketch of dancing spider with a bowtie. “Has to be plastic wrap. I think.”

“Ooohh… Does it have to be plastic wrap? Like what if you wore a plastic jumpsuit, like one of those hazmat suits in cartoons?”

“Ya know,” Marinette frowns. “I’ve never tried that! Maybe I could make it into a fashion statement!”

“It would look kind of weird, wearing plastic head-to-toe. But I bet you can make it work somehow!”

“It’s funny magic though. Maybe it won’t count because the plastic jumpsuit is, well, clothes.”

“Oh right.” Nino frowns. “Sorry, Nette. I thought I found a good way for you to come to school with me…”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind! Maman is very good at teaching me Chinese and French! Plus, I get to spend all afternoon with Papa and he makes math _really fun_ with video games!” Marinette had seen what Nino’s teachers gave him for math homework. It did not look fun.

“Yeah but school’s where you get to hang out with friends and play pranks or tag! Don’t you want to come? No one at school is as cool as you.”

“My Maman and Papa and you are enough,” Marinette insists. The kids at the park have started inviting her to play more often too. She’s been getting along with Alix and Kim (even if Kim is still a jerk), chasing them in a few games of soccer.

But Nino’s frown grows deeper. “Don’t you get lonely, Nette?”

Marinette goes quiet. Admittedly, she does feel jealous when Nino brings home stories about his other friends or cool trips he went on at school. But Maman and Papa have always been good at taking her out to art galleries and parades on the weekends. She still plays with other kids outside when she can, but she does wish she was closer with other people the way she is with Nino.

But then they might find out she’s a bug and take her away from her parents.

“…What would I say to the other kids if they wanna give me hugs? I can’t just say no to hugs. That seems rude.”

“Well why not?” Nino asks. “My mom always says that you’re allowed to say ‘no’ to any hugs you want. She calls it… consent, I think. Some people don’t like hugs without asking.”

“Huh.” Marinette never thought of that before, being a person who loves hugs. Even if they turn her into ladybugs. Thank goodness for plastic wrap.

“Besides, you can always pretend you’re afraid of germs or something! I’d back you up!” Nino puffs up his chest.

Marinette smiles. “I’ll think about it. Air hug?”

Nino nods. “Air hug.”

They put their arms around each other, just inches away, and pretend to hug. Marinette closes her eyes. Maybe this is what hugs feel like to normal people. Giddy and warm.


	5. School Lady

Marinette has never felt like this before—clammy hands, elevated heart rate, the need to fidget.

The teacher at the front of the class, M. Lavoine, seems kind and Marinette is fine talking to him. It’s just seeing everyone in the class, all these eyes, stare up at her. Why are they so quiet? Is she dressed strangely? Marinette made sure to wear her nicest clothes, all in pink. Maybe pigtails aren’t cool right now. Maybe she has a weird mark on her face, oh no, oh no…

“Would you like to introduce yourself?” M. Lavoine coaxes her forward.

Marinette almost shakes her head ‘no.’ She can feel herself start to shake.

“Urgh, can we just start with class? The idiot isn’t going to talk, obviously. Look at her, she’s shaking like we’re a bunch of bullies or something. Can you believe her?” a blonde girl sneers from the front.

Marinette has never heard anyone being so… bratty before. She can’t help but stare wildly.

“What?” the girl snaps. “Take a picture, it will last longer.”

“Chloe,” M. Lavoine growls, “please be quiet and let your new classmate introduce herself. Be kind.”

The girl, Chloe, rolls her eyes. “Fine. But when I tell my Daddy about this…”

Immediately, M. Lavoine pales and says, “Alright. Well, let’s start class. Everyone, please be kind to Marinette. Now, Marinette, please find a seat.”

Chloe smirks coldly at Marinette and suddenly this going-to-school thing feels like a terrible idea. Marinette should have stayed at home. She misses looking through Asian and European Fashion history books with Maman and gossiping in Chinese with her. Papa would have taken her out for ice cream and quizzed her on math…

“Psst, Marinette!” she hears someone whisper.

Nino sits at the back. His grin is so wide, it might fly off his face. “Hey! Sit with me!” he waves.

Immediately, all of Marinette’s nerves feel the urge to sing with joy.

“Nino!” she beams, running up to him for an air hug.

“Dude! We’re in the same class! Isn’t this great?”

Marinette ignores Chloe’s burning glare (seriously, what is that girl’s problem?) and the panicked scenarios in her head. She thinks about the way her parents cried when they dropped her off at school and told her to be brave.

“Yeah,” she whispers, glad to have at least one friend with her.

 _I’m brave, I’m brave,_ she tells herself.


	6. Strange Lady

School has become a mixed bag for Marinette. She’s certainly friendly with her classmates, always happy to make them posters or treats from the bakery. She still finds it hard to stand up to Chloe, still afraid of what that girl might say if she found out what Marinette transforms into. But at least she has Nino.

Still, she’s not _close_ with them, especially after the Rose episode. Marinette had made Rose a cute little hat for her birthday and when Rose reached out to jump her in a hug, Marinette immediately side-stepped her and pushed her away.

Rose began to tear up.

Marinette hurriedly told her that it wasn’t her fault, it was _Marinette’s_. “I’m afraid of touching people!” she blurted out hastily, “I’m not comfortable with hugs!”

This, of course, made Rose cry harder. “Oh my god, Marinette, what terrible things happened to you to make you afraid of touching people, oh no…!”

“Nothing, nothing, I’m normal, completely normal! I just… don’t do hugs! I’m sorry!”

But the damage was done. Her more empathetic classmates like Rose, Juleka, Mylene, and Nathaniel, treat Marinette as if she’s a fragile doll while everyone else avoids her and whispers about her strangeness.

Marinette tries to stay positive for Nino and her parents, for herself. But it’s difficult. More and more, Marinette wonders what it would be like to be normal…


	7. Interlude: Sabine & Tom

_A memory:_

Tom buries his face in his wife’s shoulder and just holds her. He doesn’t hide the tears streaming down his face.

“What are we going to do?” Sabine asks. “What if she gets discovered?”

Tom doesn’t know. He rarely does. Only puts on a smile and does what he can to make his two favourite people smile.

“We promised we’d try to give her a normal life. We can’t shelter her forever.”

“Yes… but… will she be _happy?_ ”

He doesn’t answer.

They don’t notice Marinette crouching at the top of the stairs, quietly retreating to her room. She stares at the mirror, clenches her fists when she thinks of what her classmates stay about her.

“I’m going to be happy,” she tells her reflection.

Marinette promises that she will never let being a ladybug destroy her.


	8. Scientist Lady

“Okay, any rips or tears?” Marinette asks, holding her hands out as she stands in her first large plastic jumpsuit. She looks like a person in a hazmat suit who has tried to become a superhero. The plastic sheets have been painted over in pink, looking more see-through and terrifying than cute. But oh well, it’s a prototype. A trial-run. A way for Marinette to see if plastic-sheets-as-clothes will work.

“Nope!” Nino confirms, circling around Marinette again for a fourth check-through.

“Good! Okay, arms open, Nino!”

Like a bird ready to take flight, he does just that.

“Alright, on the count of three, I’m coming in!”

Nino nods wildly and closes his eyes.

“Three!”

Nino, standing on the lower floor of Marinette’s room, begins to sweat. “Uh, Nette, maybe—”

“Two!”

“—you shouldn’t jump from—”

“One!”

“—up there!”

“Go!” Marinette rushes from her bed and leaps down towards the lower flower, towards Nino’s arms.

Nino yelps, all the nightmares of accidentally squishing his friend in bug form returning. Every accident they’ve ever had flashes through his mind—that time Marinette tripped and fell into his arms, and Nino’s elbow nearly squashed her against the sofa; that time Marinette was surprised by the pigeons coming to her balcony and grabbed Nino, nearly eaten by those very pigeons; that time Nino was so excited about his birthday present _he hugged her and—_

“Marinette no!” he cries, not daring to close his arms when she lands on him. They both fall against the large cushion of fabrics and blankets.

“Oof!” Marinette’s nose falls against her giant plush cat. “Whoa! Are you okay, Nino?”

Quite protected in the nest of blankets, Nino jolts up. “Am _I_ okay?! How about you?! Feeling buggy?! Did you hurt yourself?!”

“…You haven’t hugged me yet, silly! How are we supposed to know if it worked?”

“Oh. Right.” Nino sits awkwardly, arms still open, as Marinette waits patiently for him to finish the hug. He can’t stop staring at her earnest big eyes, sparkling with anticipation. All Nino can see are squashed ladybugs everywhere. “I can’t!”

“What?! Why?!”

“What if it doesn’t work?! What if I can’t find you after you transform?! What I step on you?!”

“You’ve never stepped on me before!”

“I’ve never tried to hug you _on purpose_ before!”

“It’s for science, Nino!”

“You’re not even a scientist, Nette!”

“Fine, it’s for future knowledge! We must know if this works! And if it doesn’t, I can try something else! I _trust_ you, Nino. I’ll be fine!”

Urgh, unfair. How dare Marinette use those cute big eyes and pout?! But the more Nino thinks about the risks…

He shakes his head. “No! I can’t! I can’t put you in danger like this!”

Marinette’s shoulders slump down. “I’m not trying to hurt myself or anything… I just… want to know what it feels like to hug someone. To hug Maman and Papa, to hug _you_. Don’t you want that?”

Of course, he does. He’s not stupid. Before Marinette, Nino took hugging for granted. But now, he treasures every embrace he gets from his Aunt and Uncle. Hugs are so… safe, a way to show someone that you can be a home for them. A person to rest on.

When he looks at Marinette, he wants to give her all of the warmth and rest she needs. Air hugs aren’t enough. But he tries to show it by holding her hand when she feels sad in school, with smiles, with plastic wrap hugs that are more cold than warm. If he could show her how much he adores her with a _real_ hug? Nino feels he could write the happiest song.

“…Okay, I’ll try.”

The watery smile Marinette gives him is worth all the bug-squashing nightmares.

Slowly, Nino closes his arms. His hands hover, a mere breath, from Marinette’s shoulders before he presses down.

There’s a breath. A moment of strange warmth, despite the plastic then—

Poof!

A ladybug lands on his nose. She seems to hover sadly towards his fingers.

Quietly, Nino cups the ladybug to his heart and murmurs, “We’ll try again with something new. We will.”

He doesn’t comment on the cold.


	9. Chosen Lady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: implied off-screen torture of kwamis, it gets dark. Probably the darkest this fic gets.
> 
> EDIT: I wrote this when I was tired, so I accidentally wrote "pills" instead of "cursed fruit" - fixed it!

Theoretically, Marinette knows she should take better care of herself. She’s small, like _really_ small. Any accidental touch could be interpreted as a hug by the curse. Once, Nino gave her a side-hug, just an arm around the shoulder, and she was a ladybug for a good hour before she changed back. Nino had been distraught for weeks. Her parents have considered pulling her out of school so many times, but Marinette stays anyways.

She’s odd. She knows she is.

But she can’t give up just because of her ‘tiny’ problem!

So, when she sees the old man about to get hit by a car, she doesn’t hesitate to tackle him out of the way.

The world shifts. She can hear people screaming. But an old voice just says, “I’m fine, I’m fine,” and “What girl? I didn’t see one? Do you see one?” very nonchalantly. The voice feels very different from her other ‘safe’ voices—not comforting like Maman and Papa’s, not soothing like Nino’s—but a different kind of safe. Something tingly and just… _different_.

She suddenly sees a wrinkled hand gently pick her up, and an old man smiling down at her. “You’re _definitely_ a worthy chosen,” he says.

Logically, Marinette should fly back to the bakery and get some clothes on when she changes back but… this old man feels so familiar.

“Would you like to come to my home for some tea when you change back? You can fly away if your answer is no, I will return your clothing at a later date.”

Something about him makes her stay in his palm, even when he takes her answer for a ‘yes’ (which… it sort of is), walks her to his apartment and sets her and her clothing in a private room.

Minutes later, Marinette changes back into a human, puts on her clothes.

For a minute, her mind races with thoughts. What if this old man is a kidnapper? A collector of freaks? What if Marinette gets locked up in a zoo or Area 51, never to see Nino or her parents again? What if—

No. She’s a girl with a ‘tiny’ problem and she will not let this control her. She’s going to face that old man and get some answers. She’s going to march through that door and say…!

“Tea’s ready,” the old man knocks politely. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about _Miraculous_ —the company _and_ the magic.”

Immediately, Marinette opens the door. “You know about _Miraculous?!_ ”

Solemnly, the old man nods. “I know that their company is responsible for your curse. I know that they misused a great magic that was not for them. I know that it is my fault that magic fell into their hands. My name is Master Fu. Would you like to listen?”

Marinette frowns. “Will I be allowed to leave after I listen?”

Master Fu laughs gently. “Of course. I would never harm an innocent.”

Marinette isn’t sure.

“You may keep your cellphone out to call for trouble and text your parents to let you know where you are.”

“Oh.” Marinette wasn’t expecting that. “But… shouldn’t this magic stuff be a secret?” That seems to be the rule when dealing with magic in stories.

Master Fu suddenly looks very sad, older than he did a few moments ago. “Seeing as this magic has affected their lives, I think I will trust you to keep the secret between those involved in your curse. They have a right to know as well.”

Marinette thinks of all those nights Maman and Papa stayed up, crying and whispering to each other. She nods her head. “Alright, then I’ll listen first.”

She’ll decide what to tell her parents later.

Master Fu smiles again but this smile looks more tragic than tears. “Then let me tell you a story…”

::

He tells her about spirits that embodied the elements, embodied the concepts of creation and destruction. These spirits lived side-by-side with this plane but decided to help mortals by sealing parts of their essence into special objects called Miraculous. He tells her that the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous are the most powerful, that they can create a power greater than god, that they can grant one wish.

He tells her about a couple that wanted a child, that stole the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous and transferred the essences into little fruits to “cure” sterile humans at the cost of a curse. He told her about how that damaged and hurt the Ladybug and Black Cat spirits. He told her how he had to sacrifice his own powers of longevity to take the two miraculouses back.

He told her how he has long guarded those two Miraculouses but now another one is being misused.

He says she’s chosen.

She’s special.

::

“You’re the next Ladybug,” he says solemnly. “Your heart is pure.”

Marinette can barely believe what she is hearing. “No, I’m just… Marinette! I mean, I can _turn_ into a ladybug, but that doesn’t mean I _am_ Ladybug material!” She’s heard stories of a red-and-black-dotted hero in history. Legends. She is not like a legend.

“I chose you because of your will to do what is right when no one else will. I chose you because of your creativity and kindness, not because of your curse. You are worthy, if you choose it. Paris needs you.”

Quietly, Marinette stares down at the little earrings in disbelief. “I’m not sure if I should get involved in more magic.” She doesn’t even know what to tell her parents now. What would they say if she decided to be a superhero…?

Slowly, Master Fu puts his hand on her shoulder. “Words can’t express how sorry I am that you have been cursed because of my inactions… But I truly believe that you are the best person for the job.”

“…I don’t know…”

“At least meet Tikki first. She could be considered your third parent, after all.”

“Third parent? Oh… because of the fruits and her essence…” Marinette can’t even imagine the terror the ladybug and black cat spirits must have been through, confined and basically violated. Someone like Marinette would only be a vile reminder of that trauma. “Would she even _want_ to meet me?”

“Only one way to find out.”


	10. Miraculous Lady

Tikki doesn’t expect her chosen to stare at her and whisper, “ _You’re magic!_ ” as soon as she sees her. In the vast amount of centuries that she’s been alive, she’s had the Kwami introduction speech memorized. Unless they were raised to be Guardians, most Chosens are civilians. Ignorant to magic and spirits.

But this girl doesn’t feel entirely human. Her scent is sweet, heightened with a whiff of magic, a whiff of familiarity like her brethren. The girl smells like Plagg’s slyness, like Trixx’s creativity, like Dusuu’s empathy, like Nooroo’s kindness… and Tikki herself.

Immediately, Tikki’s eyes widen as she glances at Master Fu. “She’s one of the fruit children!”

Master Fu nods, “Indeed.”

What in the cosmos is Fu thinking assigning Tikki to a cursed child?! Especially one made from that incident?! Tikki has to refuse, she doesn’t want to remember that night—

“Um, hi,” the girl wiggles her fingers in a shy wave. “I’m M-M-Marinette. You must be Mikki, _I mean Tikki!_ I didn’t do that on purpose, I definitely know your name. It’s just you’re a gorgeous and amazing ladybug spirit and I’m, well, _me,_ so—”

 _Oh no,_ Tikki thinks, feeling the sudden urge to cuddle with this girl and make everything that harms her die in a fire, _she’s so endearing for a fruit child!_

“You’re perfect the way you are!” Tikki blurts out, extreme feelings of _must-protect_ and _snuggle_ screaming inside her. She frowns at herself. She’s the Kwami of Creation so she should act with more dignity!

But Marinette still looks concerned.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me as your Chosen? I can put the earrings back if you feel uncomfortable. I’d understand,” she says with such a sorrowful smile that Tikki feels something inside herself break.

This human girl shouldn’t be trying to comfort a thousand-year-old creation spirit. If anything, Tikki should have been the wiser soul and put aside her feelings from the Agreste family incident. How kind if this human girl’s soul…?

“Besides, I don’t think I’m superhero material. I’m kind of working at being a designer and trying to make the right outfit that lets me hug people and—”

Tikki flies up and puts her hand against Marinette’s lips. “Stop. Right. There.”

Marinette blinks down at her in shock.

“You,” Tikki says solemnly, “are definitely Ladybug material and I would be _honored_ to work with you, my Bug.”

She ignores the feelings of guilt and anger from the Agrestes and their terrible company. She concentrates on the kinship, the smell of magic from Marinette, on Marinette’s kind eyes. Marinette feels like a kwami, like something deeper than a Chosen. Something Tikki can’t describe.

“I…!” Marinette’s eyes tear up. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Amazing! I know you can do it, little bug!” Tikki, without thinking, hugs the girl’s cheek.

Suddenly, her chosen disappears in a cloud of smoke and reappears as a tiny ladybug with remarkable spots! Her Maribug flies up to her and says, “I’m sorry Tikki! I forgot to tell you I can’t do hugs without turning into a bug!”

Tikki’s jaw drops. She cradles her chosen, her little Maribug, in her arms and murmurs, “You’re perfect.”

“…Wait, I can talk now?!”


	11. Super Lady

After the excitement of being able to talk in bug form calms down, Marinette realizes that Tikki’s magic helps her talk as a bug.

“This. Is. Awesome! I wonder if I can prank Nino with this?!” She can’t  _ wait  _ to tell him about this.

“Marinette,” Tikki says as strictly as Maman does when Marinette stays up too late, “you can’t tell anyone about your secret. Dangerous things can happen if people knew about me and tried to steal me away.”

“Oh,” Marinette grew somber, remembering the incident that led to Tikki and Plagg’s kidnapping. “I’m sorry…”

“Wait,” Master Fu cuts in, “I did promise you that you could tell your family. It’s the least I can do for the harm I’ve caused to your life.”

“ _ Master Fu! _ ” Tikki scolds, “Do you remember what happened with the last humans you confided in about the Miraculous?! We were  _ stolen! _ No! I will stay with my bug but I won’t let anyone put us in danger! Not even her family!”

Shoulders hunched in, Master Fu nods. “I apologize, Marinette, I made you a promise that wasn’t mine to keep. But if there is ever anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask. I will do all in my power to right what my actions have caused you.”

“Oh no, please don’t apologize!” Being a guardian, Marinette is starting to realize, must be a difficult job. “You did your best. This isn’t your fault but the one who stole Tikki and Plagg in the first place!”

“Yes,” his voice grew grave, “their actions caused many of my Miraculous to be lost. That’s the reason I’ve chosen you, Marinette. One of the lost Miraculous, the Butterfly pin, has fallen into the wrong hands. Soon Paris will be in danger. Only you and your chosen partner can stop this. Tikki will train you as much as she can before the Butterfly becomes active. Until then, I have faith in you.”

Marinette gulps, the gravity of the situation suddenly crashing down upon her.

“But… what if I can’t save everyone?! What if I lose Tikki?”

“Don’t worry, Marinette,” Tikki says fiercely, “I’ll make you into the best Ladybug in history. We won’t let any miraculous get stolen again! Your soul is perfect for the job.”

“…I don’t know…” She can barely get to school on time. Speaking of school, what the heck is she going to tell her parents and Nino about her being absent?!

“At least give it a try! Come on, let’s practice transforming into your superhero form! Just say  _ Spots On! _ ”

“Um. Alright. Spots On?”

Pink lights flash all around Marinette. She feels something similar when she’s hugged, when she’s back in bug mode, but this is so different. Nothing’s shrinking, the world doesn’t grow too large for her. No, Marinette feels a protective layer of pure magic form all around her. Whispers of  _ luck  _ and  _ strength  _ wrap themselves over her limbs like a balm. She feels like she’s grown several feet high despite the fact that her height’s the same.

She looks in the mirror Master Fu presents to her and feels…  _ super _ .

“Wow,” she touches the spots on her mask. “I’m so different.”

_ No,  _ she can hear Tikki in her mind,  _ you’re a hero. _

Ladybug grins wide and flashes a smile at Master Fu. “Thank you so much for this. I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will,” he echoes the sentiments of Tikki in her mind.

She dashes out and gives her new powers a whirl.


	12. Friendly Lady

Coming in late to class is worth it, even if she did miss lunch. Marinette can’t help the giddy giggles that escape. The rush of the wind as she swung from building to building (even if she did get tangled up in her yoyo a few times, how embarrassing) was like flying in her Maribug form, but better. The wind whipping through her pigtails, and the view of the city’s rooftops in the daytime, could not compare. She’s still not sure how to fight, but Tikki promises to explain later tonight.

She made sure to feed her lunch to Tikki, feeling way too excited to eat, though Tikki  _ did  _ make Marinette save half her sandwich for later.

“Nette!  _ Dude!  _ Where have you been?!” Nino storms over, looking angrier than she’s ever seen him. “Are those leaves in your hair?! Did you fell into a bush?! Did you get into another accident?!”

“No, no,” Marinette shakes her head, though she has a mighty need to just  _ tell  _ him about Tikki. Still, she can’t break her new friend’s trust, especially considering the trauma that Tikki has suffered because of broken trust. “I just… uh… yeah, I did have an accident. But no one saw me!” Except a no-longer-immortal-old-man and a creation spirit.

“Thank god! I almost called your parents! At least they’ll come up an excuse for you with the teachers. Man, you missed so much! We’ve got some new students. One’s a spitfire, she totally stood up to Chloe. You should have seen it! I’ve never seen Chloe so speechless! The other’s kind of quiet. Really shy. He seems to be Chloe’s lackey though. Real shame. Probably another Sabrina.”

New students? Marinette bounces on her steps. “Well at least I’m not the new kid anymore! What are their names?” Maybe they can be friends. Even Sabrina is nice without Chloe around.

“The spitfire’s called Alya. Chloe’s boy is called Adrien Agreste or something. He’s already got a following of girls.”

Abruptly, Marinette feels a thump in her purse. Did Tikki hit her head? Oh no, Marinette will have to make a bigger and comfier purse for her… with lots of snack pockets…

“Well, what are you waiting for? Introduce me!” Marinette pulls Nino’s hand.

“Alright, alright!” Nino laughs. “What new delight did they feed you in that bakery? You’re bouncing off the walls!”

“Let’s just say it’s something  _ magical _ ,” Marinette winked.

“Is it macaroons? Because I really want some macaroons right now…”

::

Nino doesn’t really need to introduce Marinette to Adrien, because she spots him fiddling with a wad of gum where she usually sits.

“Hey, leave that seat alone!” a gorgeous girl who must be Alya (because Marinette would remember someone that gorgeous around their school) barges in, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe off the gum. “Don’t you have anything better to do than follow Chloe around?!”

“Uh, hey, wait, I wasn’t,” the boy stutters, looking as lost as Marinette felt on her first day.

The initial anger Marinette felt at the boy, Adrien probably, fades away in an instant.

“Hey, listen, maybe this is all a misunderstanding. We’re all new kids here. We do weird stuff on our first days. I mean, I stuttered my way through my first day and accidentally broke a few canvases during art class on my first day. Maybe, um, Adrien?” she glances at him, “Is that your name?”

His eyes are wide, but he nods quickly.

“Yeah, maybe Adrien was trying to get the gum off like you were, Alya. Um. Your name is Alya, right?”

The girl, Alya, starts grinning wide. “It might be.”

“So,” Marinette rambles, “in conclusion, you’re both amazing and should be friends. Okay, I’m done now. Nino, rescue me. I’ve overstepped!”

Nino starts to chortle. “Right okay, what Nette said. Let’s all hang out. I’m Nino. This is Marinette. We’re kind of weird. But cool.”

“Hmmm,” Alya glares at Adrien, who winces, “Well, if Adrien really wasn’t trying to put gum on that seat, then sure. Friends.”

“Oh, um,” Adrien brightens, “I’m--” His smile vanishes. “No, never mind. I shouldn’t. I mean…”

“So you  _ were  _ trying to put gum there?”

“No, I just--” 

The bell rings.

Marinette sees Adrien’s shoulders slump down and, in another random burst of energy, she reaches out to put her hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I believe yo--”

“Don’t touch me!” Adrien jumps away, eyes wide as if Marinette just tried to stab him.

Marinette stares at him, eyes wide.

“Whoa man, Marinette was just being friendly, back off!” Nino warns.

“Should have known he was just pretending,” Alya scoffs.

“No, I--”

“Come on, Nette, new girl. Let’s sit at the front. I’ll ask Miss Bustier to let three of us cram in. I’m sure she’ll give in if you use puppy eyes…”

“Yeah…” Marinette frowns, trying to ignore the hurt in her chest.  _ It’s not personal,  _ she tries to tell herself,  _ he probably has his own problems to deal with… maybe he doesn’t like people touching him… I should apologize… _

She doesn’t realize that Tikki’s sitting in her purse, glaring at the direction she heard Adrien’s voice...

 


	13. Clumsy Lady

Alya is the coolest girl that Marinette has ever met. She’s never met anyone so confident and sure of herself like Alya. Apparently, she wants to be a reporter and she’s already writing her own articles about various crimes in Paris! The job sounds dangerous but Marinette can’t help but admire someone so dedicated to her passion.

She’s also glad Nino seems to get along with Alya too. While Nino does hang out with other classmates, Marinette always feels guilty that he only really lights up around her. There’s something about Alya that fits in and just clicks with both Marinette and Nino, like she’s a missing piece to their friendship.

“Ah, girl, give me your number so I can text you! We can have a sleepover later!” Alya beams. “Have some girl time!”

“Gasp, am I being replaced as best friend? Alya, I demand an invite to this sleepover!” Nino pretends to be wounded.

“No way, I want some alone time with Marinette here!”

“I was the one who introduced you two! I have sabotaged myself!”

Marinette bursts into giggles. “We can all hang out together and watch movies at my place! Nino can sleep on the couch downstairs, if your parents are okay with that Alya.”

“Hmmm… I’ll have to ask them. Should be fine though. Awesome!” Alya opens her arms, moves in for the dread hug.

“Uh wait!” Nino throws himself in between the two. “Don’t hug her!”

Alya narrows her eyes at him. “Why?”

“Because, well, Marinette’s not comfortable with hugs after a traumatic childhood experience. She really doesn’t do hugs. Sorry.”

Alya’s eyes go wide and soft. “ _Oh_ ,” she says in such a pained voice that Marinette wants to scream the truth. “I’m so sorry! That must be so hard! Is there anything I can do? What are you okay with, Marinette?”

Nino and Marinette exchange startled glances, unable to cope with such genuine emotion.

“Um. I like holding hands?”

“Done,” Alya reaches out and squeezes Marinette’s right hand like it’s a lifeline. “I will be the hand-holding queen.”

“Hey that’s my line,” Nino jokes, taking Marinette’s other hand.

At this rate, Marinette’s cause of death will be too much blushing from being around too many incredible people.

She doesn’t deserve to know someone as awesome and gorgeous as Alya, someone who doesn’t even ask questions about Marinette’s aversion to hugs. Maybe, unlike the Tikki secret, she should tell Alya about her bug thing…

::

“Um,” Marinette hears later, as she waits in the rain. “Could I talk to you for a moment?”

It’s Adrien, the boy from earlier.

“Oh,” Marinette thinks about his aversion to touch, about her own reasons for rejecting hugs, and smiles at him. “Sure.”

Adrien blinks at her incredulously before saying, “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just…”

“It’s okay,” Marinette says, wanting to save him from this awkward moment. “You just don’t like it when people touch you right?”

The way Adrien’s jaw drops, she realizes she must be right.

“That’s fine. I’m the same actually. I don’t like hugs,” a lie, but what else can she say? “So I get it. No harm done. Like I said earlier, it’s hard being the new kid.”

Surprisingly, she sees Adrien’s lip tremble. “You… you don’t think I’m weird? You… really understand?”

“I… of course,” Marinette says, overwhelmed by his show of emotion. “Are you alright? Do you need a moment?”

“Yeah, I just… I didn’t expect to meet someone like you here.” He smiles, and there’s something genuine and longing in that gaze, something that Marinette feels herself get lost in. “I’ve never gone to a real school before. I’ve always been homeschooled, so I thought I’d be shunned… especially with how… weird I am about space. Never had any real friends either.”

“W-well,” Marinette finds herself saying, amidst the sounds of soft thunder, “I can be your friend.”

Adrien’s eyes widen, lightning flashes over the school, and he slips. His arms go wild, flailing, while Marinette doesn’t think. She just reacts and--

Her arms go around him, in a sad attempt to save him from injury, before she goes _poof_ and--

She finds herself, in Maribug form, staring up at a frightened black cat with the same green eyes as Adrien.


	14. Kindred Lady

If anyone came out of their school, they would see a peculiar sight. A tiny ladybug and a black cat stuck in a staring contest, surrounded by two piles of random clothes and school bags. Somehow, a big umbrella has landed between them, sheltering the ladybug and the cat from the rain. Oddly enough, both animals seem… _afraid._

All the hairs on the cat’s back go up. He raises his paw and says, “Are… are you _Marinette?!_ ”

In surprise, the ladybug squeaks, “You can talk too when you’re like this?!”

The cat mewls, “I always have…?”

Huh. So maybe different cursed children have different circumstances placed on them. Or maybe it's just easier for a cat to learn to speak than a ladybug. Insects don’t exactly have mouths and tongues capable of human speech after all. Marinette can only do this because of Tikki’s magic. Speaking of Tikki, she hopes her new friend stays hidden in her purse or there will be _a lot_ more questions.

“That is so cool!” she buzzes. “I just learned how to recently! Oh my god, I’ve never met anyone like me before! And you’re a _cat!_ So cute! I want to pet you! Oh, but maybe when I’m a human instead. I’d probably get lost in your fur right now. But gah, you look like a little kitten! So precious! Not a full-grown tomcat yet, eh? Must be so nice transforming into a cat! Easier for your parents to cuddle with you! I mean, I’ m a bug, so cuddling like this is a guarantee for squashing and death—not a good time—and I—”

“Wait! Slow down!” Cat Adrien (Marinette decides she’ll call him Catdrien for short) blurts out, almost squishing Maribug with his flailing paws. “I’m. So confused? I thought my dad’s company only released one fruit and that resulted in one abnormality… me.”

Maribug’s wings flared upwards. “Abnormality?!”

“Oh uh!” Catdrien clumsily steps back. “Not that _you’re_ an abnormality! You’re so nice! But, I mean… isn’t we freaky? We… literally can’t hug people.”

If ladybugs could physically glare, Maribug would do just that. How dare Catdrien voice the nagging little doubts that crawled in her mind sometimes?!

“Now, you listen to me Catdrien Agreste!”

“Catdrien…?” the cat has the audacity to adorably mumble.

“We are not freaks! And even if we were, being different is good! Really cool! So I better not hear you dissing yourself again! We’re the same! We should be friends and celebrate!”

“…Celebrate…?” the cat gapes again.

“Yeah, I mean, haven’t you ever wanted to talk to someone who understands what it’s like? This… ‘tiny’ problem?”

For a long time, Catdrien just stares down at her. If she were a normal ladybug, she might be afraid that this feline wants to eat her. But he doesn’t look hungry for food, no. This hunger is different, filled with a certain type of longing that makes Maribug’s heart just _ache_.

The rain thumps down, louder and louder in the dome of the umbrella and suddenly, Maribug wonders if she’s wrong. Maybe it’s only her with the insecurities. He’s a _cat,_ for god’s sake. His parents definitely don’t have the same problems hers do with hugging. Cats can be hugged. Bugs can’t. Plain and simple.

“Do you… do you ever wish you could just run up to your mom and just… throw your arms around her? Just feel that warmth and not be afraid of turning small?” he suddenly speaks up.

Like a lit match, Maribug brightens. “Yeah! Totally! And when you _poof_ into an animal, do you ever freak out and think, _one day, what if I just don’t turn into a ladybug? What if I just disappear? What if hugs kill me?_ ”

“I…” Catdrien chokes up, “Yeah!”

She wants to tear up. But bugs can’t. So, she just flies up and sits on his nose, internally grinning when he looks at her with wide eyes. “We don’t have to be alone anymore,” she whispers. “We’re the same. We have each other now.”

“…Do you really mean that?” he says breathlessly. “I’m not alone?”

“Never again,” she promises because there’s no way she’s letting another person like her not be a friend.

“…Wow. Um. Okay,” he says almost reverently. “I… I believe you.”

There’s a poof, magical fog everywhere, and Marinette becomes aware that she’s back in human form with Adrien, that they’re kind of holding each other. And while they can’t necessarily _see_ past the magic fog, they’re both naked.

“Gah!” Marinette scrambles and grabs her clothes, ducks behind the school gates and redresses. Adrien does the same, dashing over to the other side instead. Both their cheeks grow pink.

“I am so so sorry, I didn’t see anything, I swear,” Adrien bows his head repeatedly.

“It’s fine, well not fine, but it’s not your fault! And I didn’t see anything either, so we’re good!” Marinette tries to laugh it off. “We’ll have to figure out a game plan for if this happens again.”

“Uh, right…” Adrien looks down at his feet. “So…”

“Want to come over and meet my parents?” Marinette blurts out, eager to introduce both parties.

Adrien’s eyes light up. “Yes! I do! Wait… I should just text my father and ask him first… Excuse me…”

“No problem!” Marinette hums.

She wonders briefly what his father is like… Didn’t Adrien mention his father owning a company? Something about only releasing one fruit _oh SHIT._

Marinette tenses, puts a protective hand on her purse.

Adrien’s father ran the company that kidnapped Tikki and Plagg. Adrien’s father ran the company that made Marinette and Adrien this way. Adrien’s father could know about the miraculous.

When Marinette is free, she needs to talk to Tikki and text Master Fu _pronto._


End file.
